A Staten Island Adventure! Sri Lankan Lunch and Visit to The Alice Austen House

RSVPs open up on Wednesday, September 16th at 9:00pm. Join us on an all-day adventure to Staten Island, NYC's least known borough, despite the fact that is more than 2x the size of Manhattan! We'll learn about its history as we visit several neighborhoods and historic sites. Staten Island has also had growing diversity and we'll underscore this as we visit and have lunch in the Sri-Lankan community. RSVPs open up Wednesday, September 16th at 9:00pm. Space on this tour is set aside for new members and first and 2nd timers who land on the waiting list. Email me at [email protected] to request a spot after you sign up. Given the length and special nature of this tour your RSVP will represent a firm commitment to attend. Note - the guided walk and ferry ride are free. Admission to the Alice Austen House is $5. Please bring cash for admission and also for our lunch (credit cards also accepted), which I have scheduled at an extraordinary Sri Lankan restaurant which has one of the best buffet lunches you will ever experience. There are vegetarian options. Estimated walking distance: 6 miles with some uphill and downhill. To Bring: Cash ; a valid metrocard to for the city bus back to the ferry; water to drink, snacks if you like, sun protection. PLAN TO TAKE THE 10:00 AM FERRY IF TRAVELING FROM MANHATTAN. The trip takes about 25 minutes. (note: ferries run every 30 minutes in both directions - on the hour and half-hour). Be sure to check the weekend subway changes so you do not miss the 10am ferry. Itinerary: 10:00am: Take the Staten Island Ferry from Manhattan (be sure to check the weekend subway changes so you do not miss the boat). 10:30am: Meet inside the ferry terminal on Staten Island by the Statue of Liberty Deli. 10:30am - 12:15pm: Strolling the St. George and Stapleton neighborhoods taking in historic houses, winding streets, unusual parks and architecture, along with some fascinating history and even street art and urban grit. 12:30 - 1:45pm: Lunch The plan for lunch is the Buffet the Sri Lankan restaurant, Lakruwana: https://www.lakruwanarestaurant.com/ Unlimited buffet cost is $20.99 per person. You can also order a la carte if you do not want the buffet. 1:45pm - 2:45pm: Strolling the Rosebank neighborhood. Sites include the Garibaldi-Meucci Museum (not a visit), The house was the home of Italian immigrant Antonio Meucci who may have been the actual inventor of the telephone. Italian revolutionary military hero Giuseppe Garibaldi came to live with Meucci in Staten Island in 1850. He contributed to Italian unification and the creation of the Kingdom of Italy (1861-1946). 2:45pm - 3:30pm: Alice Austen House https://aliceausten.org/alice-austen/ About the The Alice Austen House (pictured): This unique house museum is the historic home of American photographer, Alice Austen (1866-1952) who captured a changing New York City in more than 7000 photographs taken mostly around the turn of the twentieth century. She was one of America’s earliest and most prolific female photographers. Austen documented her life on Staten Island and boldly ventured onto the streets of Manhattan to photograph the activities of immigrants and the working class. She was versatile and forged her own path beyond the restrictive Victorian expectations for women. Austen was a master tennis player, an early advocate for women riding bicycles, founder of the Staten Island Garden Club, and is said to be the first woman on Staten Island to own a car. The house itself was built in the 1690's as small Dutch farmhouse. It is located along the shore of Lower New York bay. The House and its surrounding waterfront park are a nationally designated site of LGBTQ+ history, centering on the 56 year relationship between Alice Austen and her life partner Gertrude Tate, providing an important window into pre-Stonewall LGBTQ+ history. 3:30pm - 4:00pm: Walk to Fort Wadsworth: Fort Wadsworth is one of the oldest military installations in the nation. The site occupies 226 acres on the northeastern shore of Staten Island, on the Narrows of New York Harbor. Rich in history and natural beauty, Fort Wadsworth affords you the opportunity to observe an important part of our nation's history, while offering magnificent views of New York Harbor. https://www.nps.gov/gate/learn/historyculture/fort-wadsworth.htm Around 4:30pm: End of tour: Some of you may choose to linger and wonder around the site. To return to the ferry, the S51 city bus departs from Bay Street and goes to the ferry terminal back in St. George (25 minute ride). Cheers from Hank! 646-596-3005 [email protected] (pictured is the Alice Austen House).